Local freshmen picking their battles at State House

Thursday

The first-term legislators are just two weeks into their new gig on Beacon Hill.

BOSTON — The State House offices of newly-inaugurated South Shore state Reps. Patrick Kearney and Alyson Sullivan aren't exactly glamorous.

They have been shoved into what's affectionately referred to as "The Bull Pen" — two basement hearing rooms packed with freshmen lawmakers, their aides, folding tables and temporary coat racks. It's far from the private offices and big wooden desks of their dreams, but Kearney, a Scituate Democrat, and Sullivan, an Abington Republican, say it's where they were meant to be.

"It's great and the energy is good. It's been a lot of fun being in the bull pen, actually," Kearney said Thursday during an interview at the State House. "The energy is always there with the new class. We worked so hard to get here."

Kearney is the newly-elected representative in Plymouth's 4th District, which includes all of Marshfield and most of Scituate. Sullivan was elected in Plymouth's 7th, representing Abington, Whitman and parts of East Bridgewater. They were sworn in on Jan. 2.

Sullivan is one of only three newly elected Republican lawmakers and the only woman from the party beginning her first term. She replaced Republican Geoff Diehl when he gave up the seat to mount an unsuccessful campaign against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

"I came to this position knowing I was going to be a big voice and I know I have big shoes to fill as the only incoming GOP woman," Sullivan said.

It will be weeks before the new lawmakers know their committee assignments, but Sullivan said Thursday she has asked to be considered for judiciary, mental health, substance use and recovery, education, public safety and homeland security, and health care financing, topics that were part of her campaign.

Sullivan, the daughter of former Plymouth County District Attorney and U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, said criminal justice reform is an issue close to her heart and she'd like to see laws passed that would give prosecutors and police officers more authority to detain criminals. She is also interested in recreational marijuana regulations and fighting the opioid epidemic.

"I view my work as mostly being done in the district," she said. "That's where I'll be. That's where I'll meet even more people and hear about the issues facing them."

In Kearney's first move as representative, he and another freshman Democrat, Maria Robinson of Framingham, stood up to challenge the way the House speaker is elected. Kearney backed a motion to hold secret ballot voting when the Democratic caucus nominates a speaker. The motion failed, but Kearney said it was only the beginning of reforms he hopes to bring to House rules, including mandating a floor vote for any bill with more than 80 sponsors. Kearney, who did not vote to support incumbent Speaker Robert DeLeo, also wants a term limit for speakers.

"Our Founding Fathers thought it was a good idea and so do I," he said. "It's a lot of power we put into one person. I think as we move forward and look at some of the issues the next generation will face, it's good to have new faces and new ideas."

Kearney has also joined more than a dozen other freshmen to form the informal group GreenTeamMA. The lawmakers have come together to push for a complete transition to renewable energy by 2050, agreeing to refuse fossil fuel PAC campaign contributions and work with constituents to drive up demand for wind, solar and hydropower.

"If we're not being bold and aggressive on climate change issues, none of the rest of this will matter when we don't have a planet to live on," he said.

Kearney said his immediate priorities are to draft legislation that would help curb prescription drug abuse and work on supporting the South Shore fishermen who are about to enter a three-month ban on lobster fishing for the fourth consecutive year.

For both newbies, the job runs in the family. Sullivan's seat was held by her father from 1991 to 1995, and Kearney is the son of Maryanne Lewis, who held the 11th Norfolk District seat from 1995 to 2003.

"Most people don't realize that he's just a typical dad to me. Seeing his face when I got sworn in — it almost brought tears to my eyes," Sullivan said. "It prepares you to have more thick skin, and to understand that not everybody is going to like you and not everybody is going to agree with you. . .it helps you find that common ground with people."

Reach Mary Whitifll at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.

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